Riddle me this
by mkampen
Summary: An argument gets a little out of hand and Lily swears to show her ability to prove James wrong. He can't be too mad, after all, he did ask for it.
1. A fight, a theft and a riddle

**1\. A fight, a theft and a riddle**

Lily Evans and James Potter having an argument weren't all that unusual. They'd often be spotted in hallways involved in seemingly friendly and quick-witted banter. However, today their argument wasn't all that friendly. This, too, wasn't unusual per se, but those kinds of arguments had become less and less frequent over the past year. So it's fair to say people was worried when they heard the raised voice of their Head Boy and the venom in the retorts from the Head Girl.

"You think you're _so_ clever–!"

"I _am_ clever!" Lily snapped back harshly. "A lot cleverer than you, I recon! Those pranks you do. Please, a child could come up with better ideas!"

"Hah! You wouldn't be able to make up a good prank even if your life depended on it! And even if you did come up with a plan than you wouldn't have the nerve to do it!" James was breathing heavily, trying not to loose it completely.

"If you that then you don't know me at all."

"I know more about you than you think, Evans."

"Well, I know you better than you know me!"

"No, you don't!"

"Yes, I do!" Lily said almost indignantly. You see, this was their problem. Neither of them would ever back down, nor ever admit that the other was right. So arguments like this could go on for quite some time.

"You're not as mysterious as you like to think, Potter!"

"Like you're such a puzzle to figure out?" James crossed his arms defensively across his chest.

Lily closed her eyes and took a deep breath before she continued, calmer than before but still with that fire in her eyes. "I am cleverer than you. I can do pranks. I know you better than you realise, and I urge you not to underestimate me."

"I never underestimate you," said James.

Lily laughed. "Really? What do you think this fight is all about?" James opened his mouth but paused for a moment. Lily rolled her eyes. "It's not that hard to figure out. It's not a riddle!"

"I know that," James said, shrugging. "Riddles are easy. Oh, maybe you don't think so. Not everyone can be as clever as I am."

"I'm more clever! I'm better at riddles! I know more about you! I can do pranks–!" Lily listed off, getting increasingly more frustrated.

"Prove it!" James interrupted.

"What?" Lily said slightly baffled at being interrupted in her rant.

"Prove it," James repeated. "I'd love to see _the Great Lily Evans_ pull off a prank." He grinned as if the thought itself was ridicules. "Maybe something with a riddle!" He added in a mock-excited tone in his voice.

Lily eyed him silently for a long moment while she was thinking. "I know thinks about you. I am cleverer than you. And I'll prove it. As you wish."

And with that she turned round and walked away.

"What are you going to do?" James called after her, but she didn't even turn round as she answered: "You'll see."

Later that day James and his friends, Remus, Peter and Sirius, were walking up to their dorm in Gryffindor Tower after dinner. James had told them about his little argument with Lily and they'd been spending the day laughing at the idea of Lily doing a prank. Sirius had suggested with a snigger that James watch his back, as he was clearly the intended target.

"Oh yes, I'm so scared!" James said sarcastically, causing his friends to laugh loudly.

He laughed too, but it quickly faded as he entered the dormitory and saw a perfectly folded note and a flower neatly placed on top of his bed. A lily.

James smirked. So she was actually going through with it then.

He picked up the note and read aloud:

 _"_ _You wanted a riddle and a riddle you'll get_

 _In fact you'll get a bunch so don't be upset"_

"Oh it rhymes!" Sirius said grinning. "How fun!"

 _"_ _Let's start with something easy, oh yes there's more to come_

 _Something's missing from your trunk. Something you've kept me from_

"Wait what?" James looked around at his friends before getting on the floor, pulling out his trunk from under his bed.

As he did so, Remus, who had been reading over James' shoulder, took the note and continued:

 _"_ _I can't blame you; I might have done that too_

 _But I've had my suspicions, turns out they were true_

 _It helps you hide and get away unseen_

 _When professors and students arrive at the scene"_

The last part was overlapped by James' yelling. "She took my invisibility cloak!" He had emptied the trunk's entire content onto the floor and was now staring utterly stunned at it. "How did she know I have an invisibility cloak?" He looked accusingly around the room.

"Don't look at me, mate." Sirius said trying to sound unaffected by the whole thing.

"The note says she had suspicions," Remus reasoned, "so I bet she didn't really know for sure until, well, today."

"She can't just steal my stuff!" James said sounding more worried than angry. He didn't know what Lily would do to the cloak or whether or not she would tell a teacher about it.

"There's more to the note," Remus said before continuing:

 _"_ _To get it back you'll have to follow my clues_

 _A few games and tasks to wear out those shoes_

 _You'll find the next riddle the place where we eat_

 _Breakfast and lunch and the occasional feast_

 _There doesn't seem to be a ceiling at all_

 _Look for a friend training birds so small"_

"Well that's easy," James said standing up. "The Great Hall. Let's go!" And they left, going back down to where they had been only 15 minutes earlier.

–

 **A/n: More chapters to come. Like it? Tell me! Don't like it? Tell me what I can do better! Favorite and follow maybe?**


	2. The Great Hall

_You wanted a riddle and a riddle you'll get_

 _In fact you'll get a bunch so don't be upset_

 _Let's start with something easy, oh yes there's more to come_

 _Something's missing from your trunk? Something you've kept me from_

 _I can't blame you; I might have done that too_

 _But I've had my suspicions, turns out they were true_

 _It helps you hide and get away unseen_

 _When professors and students arrive at the scene_

 _To get it back you'll have to follow my clues_

 _A few games and tasks to wear out those shoes_

 _You'll find the next riddle the place where we eat_

 _Breakfast and lunch and the occasional feast_

 _There doesn't seem to be a ceiling at all_

 _Look for a friend training birds so small_

–

 **2\. The Great Hall**

"So she decided to make you a bunch of riddles," Sirius said as they made their way towards the Great Hall, "that's her prank? Seems easy enough."

"Especially if they're all like this one," James agreed. " _'You'll find it where we eat'_ it's obvious!"

"So we just look for someone who's training birds then?" Peter asked as they entered the Great Hall.

Dinner had finished, but there were still a few people left chatting at the tables. They quickly spotted a girl they all recognised. A seventh year Gryffindor like themselves with short blond hair and five tiny blue birds flying around her eating breadcrumbs from her hand.

"I think we found the friend," James commented as they made their way towards her. "Hi Alice! Got a riddle for me?"

The girl, Alice, smiled at him as he sat down next to her. "I do. But first I have a question."

"A question?"

"Do you have a favourite?" she asked smiling, pointing at the birds.

James looked rather puzzled as he answered. "Uh, no, can't say that I do."

"That's fine. I'll just choose for you then." Alice said, taking the fattest bird in her hand.

"Choose for me?" James really had no idea what she was talking about.

Alice put the bird on James' head as she explained. "You have to take one of the birds with you or you won't get back… whatever she took from you. I didn't really pay attention. This little guy's called Blues, you know, like the music genera."

"Great…" James said unenthusiastically. "Can I get the next riddle now?"

"Promise too keep Blues with you?" James nodded. "Okay then. Here you go."

She handed him a folded piece of paper, he thanked her, and opened it. This was shorter than the first one.

 _"_ _Be quiet, just whisper, that's all I'll allow_

 _Adventures and stories are waiting you now_

 _Fill your head, though you think you don't need it_

 _Learning is easy just sit down and read it_

 _It's not just any place I'm hinting at_

 _You'll find it there where we both once sat_

What the bloody hell does that mean?" he added slightly annoyed. The first riddle had been so clear. He should have known it would get harder. He looked at Alice for help.

"Oh, I can't help you," she said.

James sighed. He tried to think but it was hard when he had a tiny bird trying to make a nest in his hair. He winced as Blues the bird pulled out a few hairs from his scalp.

"Ouch!" he said just as Remus said "Library!"

"Did you just say library?" Sirius asked.

"Yes, the library," Remus took the riddle from James. "It's a place where you sit down and learn. The books are filled with stories and adventures," he turned to Alice. "And you have to be quiet. I'm right, aren't I?"

Alice threw her hands in the air. "Again, I can't help you."

"Library it is!" Sirius said, clapping his hands together. "Well done, Remus!"

–

 **A/n: More to come. I post a new chapter every Monday. Reviews are appreciated.**


	3. The library I

_Be quiet, just whisper, that's all I'll allow_

 _Adventures and stories are waiting you now_

 _Fill your head, though you think you don't need it_

 _Learning is easy just sit down and read it_

 _It's not just any place I'm hinting at_

 _You'll find it there where we both once sat_

–

 **3\. The Library**

As the four of them left the Great Hall, James now followed closely by Blues the bird, Peter spoke up. "We can't just search the entire library for a single note though. There's like a million books in there."

The boys shared looks.

"Good point, Wormtail," Sirius agreed. "Any ideas?" he asked Remus.

"Well," he began, reading the second riddle again. "She did give us a clue. _'You'll find it there where we both once sat'_ " he read. "Mean anything to you?" he asked James who shrugged.

"Not at all." There was a sigh of disappointment coming from the other boys.

James thought back, trying to ignore Blues chirping in his ear and the odd looks he got from people they passed. Had he ever spent time with Lily in the library? Or was she simply referring to a place she usually sat that he once had occupied on a completely different occasion? If so, how did she expect him to know where it was? He was rarely in the library, and when he was he never saw Lily there. But that wasn't true, he thought. He remembered something from when they were younger. They'd had a conversation about muggle fairy tales. He didn't quite remember, they had only been twelve at the time, but hadn't that taken place in the library? It was all coming back now. They sat at a small circular table in the far back. It had made an impression on James. He had thought the muggle stories to be rather silly. They always contained an evil stepmother and ridicules assumptions about magic. Was that what she was referring to? Did she remember the conversation at all?

"Why are you smiling?" He was knocked back to earth by Sirius arm going over his shoulders. "God, this bird is annoying," he said waiving it away with his hand.

"I think I know where Evans left the note," James told him.

It took a while before they found the right table. It was an old table next to a window not easily spotted unless you were looking for it, perfect for someone who wanted to be left alone and think. James picked up the note, smiling to himself. He didn't know why, but he was sort of pleased that Lily remembered a conversation they'd had five years ago.

"What's it say?" Peter asked. James read:

 _"_ _It gets harder now; you'll have to think back_

 _You think I don't listen, but I'm on the right track_

 _I told you once about a book I had read_

 _With dragons and princes and mums that were dead"_

"With what now?" Sirius asked surprised.

"Muggles grow up hearing stories and the mum is always dead and replaced with an evil stepmother," James tried to explain. The other boys just looked at him with utter confusion on their faces. "I know it's weird. Doesn't really make sense.

 _You didn't get it. Remember what you said?_

 _Your favourite story? The binding is red"_

James finished. He thought back. He'd told her how the stories he grew up with were better than hers. His favourite story had always been _The Three Brothers_ by Beetle the Bard. He figured he must have told her so back then.

"So? Where are we going?" Sirius asked.


	4. The library II

_It gets harder now; you'll have to think back_

 _You think I don't listen, but I'm on the right track_

 _I told you once about a book I'd read_

 _With dragons and princes and mums that were dead_

 _You didn't get it. Remember what you said?_

 _Your favourite story? The binding is red_

–

 **4\. The library II**

"We're already there," James turned to Remus. "Where do they keep the copies of _the Tales of Beetle the Bard_?"

"I'm not following," said Sirius.

"We're looking for a book, not a place," explained James impatiently. " _Beetle the Bard_ Remus?"

They looked for several minutes before Remus took initiative and asked madam Pince where they kept the books. Turned out the Hogwarts library had three copies of _Beetle the Bard._ James looked at the note again. " _'The binding is red'_ ," he said.

"This one then," Remus said, taking the only red copy off the shelf. Sirius grabbed it and shook it until a new note fell out. Remus looked horrified as he handed the book back to him.

"What?" Sirius shrugged. "It's faster than going through every page."

"You're lucky it didn't break," Remus said as James picked the note up from the floor. "Madam Pince would have known it was us who broke it. What if she'd seen you?"

"But she didn't," Sirius argued crossing his arms over his chest. "What does it say?" he asked James who had been reading the next riddle.

James read aloud:

 _"_ _By now you might realize I know a thing or two_

 _Not only about books but also about you"_

"You can almost hear the smugness coming through the ink," Sirius shook his head with a smile. Remus and Peter stifled their laughs and James grinned widely as he continued reading.

 _"So get ready to admit that I'm the one who's clever_

 _When all this is over or just whenever_

 _They next clue I'll give you, boy is it big_

 _Happy and cheerful, not wearing wig_

 _My rhymes are horrible, yes, I know_

 _But knock on his door; he's not accepting a no"_

There was a short silence, quickly broken by Peter. "Which means?" he looked around at his friends relieved that they too seemed at a loss of a solution.

"A person?" Sirius suggested.

"A door," Remus corrected, then adding in a mumble: "With a person behind it."

"So a person then," Sirius rolled his eyes.

"How is this a big clue!?" James said a bit too loud it seemed for only seconds later they heard madam Pince's footsteps coming closer and they thought it best to leave the library before they got in trouble.

Once out in the halls where they could talk freely as loud as they wished, they started discussing the clues again.

"Happy, cheerful and not wearing a wig is a big clue?" James leaned against the wall, pulling a hand through his hair, Blues the bird tweeting loudly when his new nest was disturbed. "Honestly? This is impossible."

"But let's just go from there first, okay?" Remus said, rubbing his neck, thinking. "Who do we know that's always happy and cheerful and… has no hair, I guess?"

"Or has a lot hair…" James said thoughtfully. He knew nobody bald so he assumed Lily didn't either. None of the teachers where fully hairless. Some may have some bald patches, but they were far from cheerful.

A long moment of silent thinking went by as they all wondered whom Lily meant and how she could think this was a big clue.

"Dumbledore?" Peter suggested after a while.

"Nah," said James. He'd had the same thought but gone away from it. "I can't imagine Evans would ever involve a teacher in something like this. Much less the headmaster."

"Yeah…" Sirius suddenly stood up straight. He was smiling from ear to ear and the others knew he had the answer. "So not a teacher," He grabbed the note with the riddle, "but a groundskeeper. Hagrid loves Evans, he has a door and _boy is he big_. Get it? Big clue?" Sirius curled up the note, threw it at Remus and walked off, not even waiting for the others.


	5. Hagrid's hut

_By now you might realise I know a thing or two_

 _Not only about books but also about you_

 _So get ready to admit that I'm the one who's clever_

 _When all this is over or just whenever_

 _They next clue I'll give you, boy is it big_

 _Happy and cheerful, not wearing wig_

 _My rhymes are horrible, yes, I know_

 _But knock on his door; he's not accepting a no_

–

 **5\. Hagrid's hut**

"What do you think she means by ' _he's not accepting a no'_?" James asked his friends nervously.

"Relax mate," Sirius said, putting an arm over his shoulders. "It's Hagrid we're talking about here. How bad can it be?"

James nodded, though still quite nervous. Lily seemed to have put a lot of thought and effort into this prank. He tried to ignore all the funny looks he got from passing students. Though he knew he had to look rather silly with a tiny blue bird singing happily in the mess he called hair.

"Hey guys," Remus said to get their attention. "I'll see you late, okay?"

"What?" James turned to him. "No, you can't leave. We're in this together!"

"I'm sorry," and Remus really did look sorry, "but I have a lot of homework to do. And besides," he threw the curled up note with the riddle at James who caught it easily, "it's not me she's pranking." He shrugged and started walking away. "Let me know how it goes."

They watched him go. "I really should be doing my homework, too," Peter whispered. He sounded almost guilty.

"Peter, don't give up on me now," James begged.

"Uuuuuuuuuuhh…" Peter stood watching Remus go, and the second he was out of sight he turned to James and said quickly: "And he's already gone. I don't want to go back by my self. Oh well, I guess I'll just hang out with you guys for a while then."

Sirius laughed and James grinned. "That's the spirit!"

The air was cold outside, and the ground wet from the rain they'd had earlier that day. The clouds were still dark and grey. They saw smoke coming from the chimney on Hagrid's hut and all James could think about was how unnecessary it was to make him go all the way out here for a single piece of paper. She could at least been nice enough to keep it inside the castle.

But then again maybe she had, James thought. They could be wrong about Hagrid being the answer. He didn't think they were, but they could be. And he figured making him go all across the castle and the grounds was just yet another way she was messing with him. Not enough to make him twist his brain to figure out some stupid riddle, she had to make him physically tired as well. Perfect, he thought bitterly, though he noticed he was a little impressed with her dedication and creativity. At least this far.

He knocked on the door to Hagrid's hut. They heard some sounds from inside and when it opened, a big, hairy giant of a man was beaming down at them.

"Hey Hagrid," Sirius greeted. "Evans hasn't been down here today by any chance?"

"She has," he said, still beaming. "Yer better come inside fer a moment."

They entered the warm circular room that made out Hagrid's home and sat down by the table.

"Evans told me you wouldn't accept a 'no'," James said uncertainly. "What did she mean by that, exactly?"

"Ah yes," Hagrid went over to a box on the counter and took something out of it. James couldn't see what it was from where he sat. "She asked me ter give yeh this note she made fer yah, but…" he hesitated, "only if yeh agreed to wearing this." He turned around and reveal what had been in the box.

Sirius and Peter both collapsed in fits of laughter. James on the other hand didn't know whether to feel proud or angry. Not only did he have a bird flying around his head and nesting in his hair, now he had to wear a bright pink t-shirt with the text ' _Lily Evans is a beautiful genius'_ written across the chest in sparkly blue letters as well? She had up a lot more effort into this than he'd thought.

"Thought it might embarrass yeh, but she said it was the point. Funny girl that Lily Evans."

"No." The word was out of his mouth before he could stop it, but he couldn't say he disagreed with it. He shook his head. "I refuse."

"Oh come on Prongs," Sirius gasped for air, clutching his stomach as he tried to collect himself. "I think I'll suit you." He said and started laughing again.

"I'm sorry," Hagrid said apologetically, "but Lily made it very clear that yeh had to wear it in order fer me to give yeh the note."

James sighed loudly. He couldn't believe he was actually doing this. "Okay, fine!" he said defeated and started unbuttoning his own shirt. Hopefully most people had made it back to their common room by now and wouldn't see him wearing it. But Lily wanted to embarrass him, so he had a feeling he would be walking around in it for quite some time. He didn't know many riddles she'd made, but he knew he was far from done.

"The pink is hurting my eyes," Peter sniggered when James had finally changed.

"It's beautiful," Sirius said, stifling a laugh.

James glared at them as he read accepted the note Hagrid handed him with a lot of excuses and apologies. "It's fine, Hagrid," James assured him. "It's not your fault." He thanked him for the note and they said goodbye, promising to visit again soon.

"So what does it say?" Peter asked when the door had closed behind them.

James unfolded it and read:

 _"_ _You shouldn't be there, in fact nobody should_

 _Flooding the floors when she's sad. That's no good_

 _All girls knows this is no place to stay_

 _You better not get caught or you'll have to pay"_

There was a moment of silence before the others realised he was done reading.

"Wait, that's all?" Sirius took the note from him.

"Yeah, it's short, but I read floors and that means inside. Come on."

As they walked back to the castle they discussed what the new clues could mean.

"What's somewhere inside you shouldn't be seen?"

"And girls specifically knows not to be there," Peter added.

James read the note again, and again, and again. "' _Flooding the floors when she's sad'_ what does that mean? Who's _'she'_?"

"Oh!" Sirius exclaimed, suddenly remembering something. "Moaning Myrtle!"

"What about her?" Peter asked.

"She floods the toilet she haunts when she's sad, stupid," He explained as if it was obvious, which James thought it wasn't. It was not something he walked around thinking about a lot, though he had to admit, Sirius was completely right.

"Oh," Peter's eyes lit up with realization.

"It does add up," James agreed as they entered the castle. "I _would_ get in trouble if were caught in the girls' toilets."

"Let's go!"

–

 **A/n: I will not be able to post a new chapter next Monday because I'll be in Ireland at the time, so instead I'll post the next chapter later today.**


	6. A toilet on the first floor

_You shouldn't be there, in fact nobody should_

 _Flooding the floors when she's sad. That's no good_

 _All girls knows this is no place to stay_

 _You better not get caught or you'll have to pay_

–

 **6\. A toilet on the first floor**

James knew this was Lily's way of telling him she too could break rules. Well, rules that didn't really matter, at least. He shouldn't be in a girls' toilet, but everyone knew that no one used this particular bathroom, so there would be no risk of James accidentally seeing something he shouldn't. It was also out of order, but it was nothing dangerous there. There would be no harm done if he walked in. But none the less, rules were rules, and Lily was now telling him to break them.

James, Sirius and Peter hurried up the marble staircase and down the hall towards the girls' toilet. Unfortunately there were still a few people wandering the halls of Hogwarts, all of them giving James amused and puzzled looks. They met a couple of Hufflepuff girls, one of them James recognized as a prefect, who roared with laughter at the sight of him. James tried to ignore them, but he knew he was blushing pretty hard. As he passed them the prefect called after him, "Nice shirt, Potter. Love the new style!" Yes, he felt extremely stupid.

"Thanks," He mumbled, not looking back.

"What's with the bird?" he heard the other girl ask. He didn't answer.

They were soon outside the door to the bathroom. James checked to make sure no one saw him enter before walking in. He had taken a couple of steps inside when he realised his friends had not followed. If fact, they seemed to just have closed the door after him.

He poked his head out to see them leaning against the wall opposite. "What are you doing?"

"You can get it on your own, right?" Sirius shrugged. "We'll just wait here."

"Yeah," Peter agreed, "keeping a lookout. We believe in you."

James didn't feel like arguing. He rolled his eyes at them before disappearing into the bathroom again. He knew why they didn't want to come with him, and it didn't involve rule breaking. No, the reason they waited outside was the ghost whose low sobs and moans now echoed around the tiled room.

He looked around and quickly noticed the note fastened to a broken mirror. Trying hard not to make any sound, he snuck over and grabbed the note. He made it out unseen (and unheard) by Moaning Myrtle, to his big relief. She always made him so uncomfortable whenever he was forced to talk to her. Which, luckily, wasn't often.

Once they had walked a safe distance away from the toilet, not just because of Myrtle but also because they thought it might look a little suspicious to hang around outside a place like that, James unfolded the note and read.

 _"_ _There's a room you might have thought I didn't know_

 _That is the next place that you'll have to go_

 _Hungry or thirsty this is your place_

 _What meets you inside is not a human face_

 _A giggle is all you need to get through_

 _Eat what you're served and try not to spew"_

James groaned loudly reading the last line. It was pretty obvious where she wanted him to go. And she was right; he hadn't believed Lily to know the whereabouts of the kitchens and definitely not how to get in. Students weren't really supposed to go there so it wasn't exactly common knowledge, though not that difficult to find out either. He never imagined Lily to be the snacking type anyway. And now she would make him eat something he could only assume to be disgusting.

"Well, this is an easy one," Sirius shrugged, not looking at all bothered by that last line.

"Yes," James sighed. "Let's just get this over with."

The three of them made their way towards the kitchens, James a bit reluctantly.

–

 **A/n: Next chapter will be up in two weeks. Until then feel free to leave a review.**


	7. The kitchens

_There's a room you might have thought I didn't know_

 _That is the next place that you'll have to go_

 _Hungry or thirsty this is your place_

 _What meets you inside is not a human face_

 _A giggle is all you need to get through_

 _Eat what you're served and try not to spew_

–

 **7\. The kitchens**

To enter the kitchens you had to tickle the pear in a painting of a bowl of fruit to make it laugh. The kitchen at Hogwarts was run by house-elves and as long as you were nice to them, they'd give you anything you wanted. James had visited these house-elves more than any other student at Hogwarts. His invisibility cloak had made it easy to sneak down there whenever he wanted – usually at night-time when he and his friends were up late planning all sorts of shenanigans. His spirits were usually a lot higher then than they were now.

He, Sirius and Peter had been greeted by several bat-eared house-elves saying they had been waiting for them and asking them to sit down. James tried to ask them about the next riddle, but all they said was that he had to eat what the young mistress Lily Evans had prepared for him.

"I wonder what she'll make you eat," Peter mused as they sat down at one of the long tables identical to the ones above them in the Great Hall.

Seconds later a young, hook nosed elf put a plate and a tall glass in front of James. He looked down at it, utterly disgusted.

The content on the plate, to anyone else, might have seemed innocent enough – a sliced up tomato and a handful of olives. To James however, this was a plateful of the most revolting foods he had ever encountered.

"How did she know?" James whispered, mostly to himself. He poked the content on the plate, not looking the least happy.

"I'm sure you've talked about it a few times," said Sirius as he grabbed James' drink, smelled it and gaged before putting it down again. "Good luck!"

"Ew, it's all lumpy!" Peter grimaced.

James shifted his attention to the content of the glass. It was a thick, mushy-brown coloured mixture of God knows what. He sighed. Why had he egged her on? Why had he underestimated her like that? Why couldn't he just have kept his mouth shut?

He got the attention of one of the elves standing around them. "Did Evans say how much of this I had to eat?"

"Yes, Sir, everything on the plate and as much as you can of the drink, Sir," the house-elf answered in a high-pitched voice.

James sighed again. He stared at the plate for a full five minutes before Sirius told him to get on with it.

"It can't be that bad!"

"Yes, it can," said James, and he took a deep breath, pinched his nose and proceeded to shove all the pieces of tomato and olives into his mouth as quickly as possible. He looked quite sick when he'd finished, taking deep breaths.

"See," said Sirius, "that wasn't so bad, was it?"

James just glared at him.

A few more minutes went by before he dared even looking at the smoothie of whatever Lily would find most disgusting. After a couple more deep breaths he put the glass to his lips and poured the miscoloured liquid into his mouth.

It had barely touched his tongue before his body decided he had to spit it out, spraying the table and the floor with the stuff. James was sure his body had never rejected something that quickly before. He managed to press a sorry to the house-elves that came to clean it up through his gasps and over the roaring laughter of his friends.

"I can't believe Remus is missing this!" said Sirius, wiping a tear from his eye.

"Remind me to never get on Evans' bad side," said Peter. He was shaking from poorly suppressed laughter.

James accepted a glass of water and a folded piece of paper an unusually tiny house-elf gave. It gave a deep bow and then went to help with the clean-up of James' mess.

He downed the water and read aloud:

 _"_ _If you've eaten it all you might need some fresh air_

 _Another of my friends will be meeting you there_

 _Not by a lake or forest that's forbidden_

 _But a place that between four walls is hidden_

 _There doesn't seem to be a ceiling at all_

 _And this time I'm not talking about the Great Hall_

 _To get the next clue you'll have to be smart_

 _Use no magic or you'll be back at the start"_

He turned to his friends. He felt the annoyance he'd felt earlier come back. ' _To get the next clue'._ They still weren't done. What more could she possibly make him do? "Where do you think?"

"Sounds like the courtyard to me," said Sirius.

"Great, let's go."

The three of them exited the room. Blues the bird now flying in circles around James' head. For some reason it didn't seem too keen on nesting in his hair anymore.

–

 **A/n: Sorry about the delay. I'll try my best to not let it happen again!**


	8. The courtyard

_If you've eaten it all you might need some fresh air_

 _Another of my friends will be meeting you there_

 _Not by a lake or forest that's forbidden_

 _But a place that between four walls is hidden_

 _There doesn't seem to be a ceiling at all_

 _And this time I'm not talking about the Great Hall_

 _To get the next clue you'll have to be smart_

 _Use no magic or you'll be back at the start_

–

 **8\. The courtyard**

The few people in the courtyard sniggered at the sight of James. He suspected some of them didn't even notice Blues the bird due to the violently pink t-shirt he was wearing. He quickly spotted Mary sitting on a bench, twirling her wand with her fingers. She was looking at a necklace that was hovering high up in the air above her. She smiled at him as he walked towards her.

"Hello Mary!" he said in an unnecessary happy manner. "A little elf told me you'd give my next riddle?"

"Not before you've done something for me," she answered in the same tone as James.

His face fell. "Of course," he sighed. "What do I have to do?"

"Two things," she said, still somewhat excited. "Get me that necklace, and" she held up a small wooden box and a hairpin "you have to open this for me and give me what's inside. Now, remember, you are not allowed to use magic of any kind! This is to be done the muggle way."

"The muggle way?" James said skeptically looking at the necklace suspended in mid-air.

"I'm still allowed to use magic, even if you aren't. If you use more than ten minutes, and you might, I have been instructed to give you some help. And you are not allowed to break the box! Got it?"

"Got it…" James waved Blues away from his head before he jumped as high as he could to try and catch the necklace. As he'd expected, it did not work.

"Love the t-shirt, by the way," Mary commented. "She really is a beautiful genius."

"That's debatable," said James with a grunt as he jumped again.

"It's not though. How are you two doing?" she said friendly.

Mary, Sirius and Peter had a rather lovely chat while James tried his best to complete the tasks he'd been set. Mostly they just laughed at how ridicules James looked jumping around. He'd come close a few times when he'd jumped from the bench, but he didn't catch it. Panting, he gave up on the necklace for the moment and sat down with the wooden box. He whirled the pin in the lock for a while, but nothing happened. He learned quickly that he had no idea how to pick a lock the muggle way.

"Can't you just help me?" he asked frustrated after a few minutes.

"It's only been eight minutes," Mary checked her watch. James groaned loudly and she sighed. "Fine, I'll give you two hints for how to do it; one for each, okay?"

James nodded vigorously.

"Muggles usually have friends with them when one of their toys get stuck on the roof or in a tree. And many have siblings to blame when they break something."

"You said I couldn't break the box," said James.

"I said you couldn't break the box," Mary agreed with a nod and a smile.

"That _I_ couldn't break the box," Mary nodded again.

James stood up with the box in his hand and threw it on the ground. It broke onto a million little pieces and among them was a tiny notebook. He picked it up and stared at Peter in a jokingly chocked expression.

"Peter!" he said. "How could you? Just breaking the box like that? That's not nice."

"Yeah Peter!" Mary chimed in. "I really liked that box. I thought we were friends!"

James beckoned Sirius to come give him a boost and with Sirius' help, one second later, he had the necklace clutched in his hand.

"It can't be this easy?" James said, mostly to himself.

"I never said you couldn't use friends," Mary simply said, handing him a folded note. He tried to give her the book and necklace, but she shook her head. "You keep those and give them to Lily, when you see her."

With that she left them alone. The courtyard had emptied while James had been jumping. It must have been ruining the calm and relaxing atmosphere they'd had.

James unfolded the note and read:

 _"_ _A foul smelling odour, what's that from?_

 _A class quite interesting though useless for some_

 _It's hot in here and you should watch your back_

 _Some of these things could be ready to attack_

 _You know the place but haven't been there for years_

 _Been keeping your distance (or so it appears)_

 _Higher than one and lower than three_

 _That's where your next riddle will be"_

He looked at the others. "A subject I'm not taking, but I did before, where something might attack me," he looked at the note again. "And it's smelly. Ideas?" He knew he would figure it out quickly on his own, but he felt that he'd deserved a break.

"Herbology," said Peter. "Greenhouse two." He turned to leave, but turned back when his friends didn't follow.

James and Sirius looked at him in surprize. Peter didn't usually take charge like that. It was a pleasant change, really. Peter seemed to take their surprise as confusion, however, because he started to explain. "Higher than one and lower than–"

"Yeah, we got it," James stopped him. "Greenhouse two. Let's go!" He pet him on the shoulder and the three of them left the courtyard, heading for the greenhouses.


	9. Greenhouse two

_A foul smelling odour, what's that from?_

 _A class quite interesting though useless for some_

 _It's hot in here and you should watch your back_

 _Some of these things could be ready to attack_

 _You know the place but haven't been there for years_

 _Been keeping your distance (or so it appears)_

 _Higher than one and lower than three_

 _That's where your next riddle will be_

–

 **9\. Greenhouse two**

The path to the greenhouses, though relatively short, was longer than James would've preferred. He was discovering another reason the other students might have left the courtyard that he'd been too busy to notice.

The sun was setting and it was getting cold.

He was wearing a very thin, pink t-shirt, a bird was trying to sleep in his hair, and he just wanted to get this over with so he could rest his feet! He was getting tired of this game. She'd proved her point. He needed something to boost his moral.

Glancing over at Sirius, who was flipping through the notebook they'd gained from the last task, he asked, "Does it say anything interesting?"

"There's only one thing written here," Sirius shrugged.

"Which is?"

"'Read in your own bloody notebook'," he grinned.

James snorted. Lily truly knew whom she was dealing with.

"Where do you think Lily will lead us?" Peter asked.

James welcomed this change of topic as a new way of distracting himself from the chill wind. "When she's done wearing out my shoes you mean?" he said, referencing the very first riddle they'd got. "I don't know. Preferably somewhere not outside. Where do you think?" He looked at his friends, waiting their answers.

Peter shrugged as Sirius grinned wider still. "She's got the Cloak," he said. "What if she's been following us this whole time!?" he laughed. He had a contagious laugh, so James and Peter quickly followed his example.

"I doubt it," James chuckled. "We would've heard her laughing her arse off for sure."

"Maybe she's been hiding in our dorm," Peter remarked.

"That's possible," James agreed. "This is greenhouse two, yeah?"

They entered the mild, damp air of the greenhouse. Inside they were met by a strong smell of fertilizer and the rustling sound of plants moving in the dark. James took out his wand and lit it, shining some light on their surroundings. He saw something quickly move away from the light and he was immediately reminded of why he'd stopped taking Herbology. These plants freaked him out and now he only came here when he had to.

"I found it!" The sound of Sirius' voice made him jump.

He quickly recovered however, and walked over to give him some reading light.

"What does it say?"

Sirius cleared his throat before reading.

 _"_ _Almost done, but first another stop_

 _You're tired, I get it, so let's end this on top_

 _Planets and stars are pretty don't you think_

 _When the sun goes down, you could say there's a link_

 _Not your best subject I have to say_

 _When you look at the sky your mind tends to stray"_

He stared at James waiting for him to come up with the answer. James was mumbling the riddle to himself.

"… end this on top…" he frowned. "The Astronomy tower is the highest tower of Hogwarts, right?"

"Yes," Sirius confirmed.

"Then that's were we're headed," James sighed.

Of course Lily would make him walk up all those stairs at the end. At least he knew he was almost done. However, he couldn't be more than impressed at her efforts when it came to this prank. What she had achieved with less than a day's planning was admirable. He might actually have to admit that he'd been wrong. He shook his head, smiling. That girl really was clever.

–

 **A/n: Sorry for the late update (and for not updating last week), but here it is a last: Chapter 9! Please favourite, follow and review if you want. That'd mean a lot, thanks!  
In other news, next week will be the last update of the story. Meaning next week the story will be completed! I'm actually quite sad to finish it as it's been so much fun to write. Oh well... all things must come to an end I guess.**


	10. Lily Evans, beautiful genius

_Almost done, but first another stop_

 _You're tired, I get it, so let's end this on top_

 _Planets and stars are pretty don't you think_

 _When the sun goes down, you could say there's a link_

 _Not your best subject I have to say_

 _When you look at the sky your mind tends to stray_

–

 **10\. Lily Evans, beautiful genius**

Fuelled by his desire to end this time consuming prank, James walked quickly up the many stairs to the Astronomy tower. He took a deep breath as he reached the top, his friends following right behind. Blues the bird was tweeting happily flying around James' head as he looked for the note Lily hopefully had left for him in this room.

James' admiration of Lily had faded quite drastically by the time they'd reached the tower. He'd learned his lesson. He deserved it. Whatever. He just didn't want to walk up any more stairs. His head and legs were aching and he could swear the tower was even colder than the grounds had been.

Sirius and Peter sat down on the floor as James spotted the tiny square of white paper fastened to the wall.

"Please tell me we're in the right place," Sirius groaned.

"You know, you didn't have to come with me," James sat down next to him with the note in hand.

"Do you want us to leave?" Sirius asked sounding slightly annoyed.

"No," he answered and opened the note. He grinned. "Listen:

 _"_ _Congratulations! You did it! Here's the final clue_

 _I'm here with the cloak and I'm waiting for you_

 _You should probably go back to the place where you started_

 _To where girls and boys are forced to be parted"_

"So she _is_ hiding in our dorm," Peter said, sitting up straighter. James answered by reading on.

 _"_ _I needed to be sure you wouldn't find me before the end_

 _So you can't get to me but you could ask a friend"_

Peter slouched again while James laughed. "So the girls' dorm then," he said.

"Come on," James said. He got up and kicked Sirius' foot to make him move. "Let's go."

They walked back to the common room mostly in silence. James reached the portrait of the Fat Lady first. He said the password, crawled through the portrait hole and was immediately met by the unmistakable sound of Remus' laughter. He looked up and saw his friend almost falling out of the old armchair he was sitting in. He felt Sirius pat him on the shoulder.

"You _do_ look ridiculous, mate," he grinned.

James looked around the room. Several people had seen him now and sniggering at his appearance. He saw Alice hiding her giggles behind her hand. He caught her eye and lifted an eyebrow. She gave a small nod before walking up the stairs leading to the girls' dorm.

Remus had calmed down and was wiping tears from his eyes. "I missed one hell of an adventure," he said shaking his head.

"You really did," Sirius agreed as he and Peter sat down with him. "Can I copy your homework? I'm too tired to do it myself."

James missed Remus' answer, though he guessed he already knew what it was, as Lily appeared in the common room with a small bag he assumed contained his Invisibility Cloak. Sirius handed him the book and the necklace they'd gathered from the courtyard and he walked over to her.

Standing in front her she smiled sweetly and said, "So?"

James held up the first riddle and sighed. "I don't know how you know about the cloak, but well done. I now hate riddles," he smirked. Lily laughed as she accepted the note he gave him. He then picked out Blues the bird from his hair and put him on Lily's head instead. "And _please_ get this bloody thing away from me. He hasn't shut up since I got him." Then he held up the second riddle. "I can't believe you remember that." He held up the third riddle. "And I still think our stories are better."

Lily nodded respectfully as James gave her the notes. "Understandable," she said. "Next?"

Holding up the next riddle, he continued with mock-indignation: "Involving Hagrid? Evans, how could you!?" he grinned and held up the fifth note. "And encouraging me to break rules? Who are you?" Lily giggled. "Also, you'll be disappointed to know I did not run into Moaning Myrtle."

"She had one job," she said, shaking her head, making James laugh.

He held up the next riddle and took a deep breath. "You're right, I did not know you knew how to enter the kitchens. Also fuck you so much!"

Lily laughed loudly at this, showing that she had no remorse after making him eat those disgusting things she'd prepared for him.

"How do you know I don't like tomatoes?" James asked curiously.

"I told you," Lily grinned. "I know you." She took the riddle out of his hand. "Next."

"I'm a wizard," James said and shoved the seventh riddle into Lily's hand. "Let me do magic!" He handed her the necklace and the tiny notebook.

"Thank you," she said cheerfully, accepting the items and ignoring his statement.

He crumbled up riddle eight and nine and threw them at her head. "I'm glad I'm no longer taking Herbology. And why do you enjoy seeing me suffer? I guess what I'm saying is," He held out his arms so the words on the t-shirt were fully readable, "Lily Evans is a beautiful genius!"

Lily had a satisfied grin on her face as they exchanged the last note for the small bag Lily was carrying. James bent down and whispered, "I'm keeping this," referring to the t-shirt.

"I would prefer it," Lily answered seriously before giggling.

James chuckled and shook his head. "Well played, Evans."

"Well preformed, Potter."

They shook hands and he turned, walking back to his own dorm, finally having his Invisibility cloak back.

–

 **A/n: We did it! We made it to the end! Thank you all so much for reading** ** _Prove It_** **. It means a lot.**

 **I know I said this would be up last week, but I've been super busy lately so that didn't happen. I did finish the chapter earlier though, but it was so crap (yes, even crappier than this) I had to rewrite it and that took some time. But here it is at last! Hope you liked it.**


	11. Extra: The riddles

**Riddle nr 1: the Great Hall**

You wanted a riddle and a riddle you'll get

In fact you'll get a bunch so don't be upset

Let's start with something easy, oh yes there's more to come

Something's missing from your trunk? Something you've kept me from

I can't blame you; I might have done that too

But I've had my suspicions, turns out they were true

It helps you hide and get away unseen

When professors and students arrive at the scene

To get it back you'll have to follow my clues

A few games and tasks to wear out those shoes

You'll find the next riddle the place where we eat

Breakfast and lunch and the occasional feast

There doesn't seem to be a ceiling at all

Look for a friend training birds so small

 **Riddle nr 2: the library**

Be quiet, just whisper, that's all I'll allow

Adventures and stories are waiting you now

Fill your head, though you think you don't need it

Learning is easy just sit down and read it

It's not just any place I'm hinting at

You'll find it there where we both once sat

 **Riddle nr 3: a book**

It gets harder now; you'll have to think back

You think I don't listen, but I'm on the right track

I told you once about a book I'd read

With dragons and princes and mums that were dead

You didn't get it. Remember what you said?

Your favourite story? The binding is red

 **Riddle nr 4: Hagrid's hut**

By now you might realise I know a thing or two

Not only about books but also about you

So get ready to admit that I'm the one who's clever

When all this is over or just whenever

They next clue I'll give you, boy is it big

Happy and cheerful, not wearing wig

My rhymes are horrible, yes, I know

But knock on his door; he's not accepting a no

 **Riddle nr 5: Moaning Myrtle's bathroom**

You shouldn't be there, in fact nobody should

Flooding the floors when she's sad. That's no good

All girls knows this is no place to stay

You better not get caught or you'll have to pay

 **Riddle nr 6: the kitchens**

There's a room you might have thought I didn't know

That is the next place that you'll have to go

Hungry or thirsty this is your place

What meets you inside is not a human face

A giggle is all you need to get through

Eat what you're served and try not to spew

 **Riddle nr 7: the Courtyard**

If you've eaten it all you might need some fresh air

Another of my friends will be meeting you there

Not by a lake or forest that's forbidden

But a place that between four walls is hidden

There doesn't seem to be a ceiling at all

And this time I'm not talking about the Great Hall

To get the next clue you'll have to be smart

Use no magic or you'll be back at the start

 **Riddle nr 8: Greenhouse two**

A foul smelling odour, what's that from?

A class quite interesting though useless for some

It's hot in here and you should watch your back

Some of these things could be ready to attack

You know the place but haven't been there for years

Been keeping your distance (or so it appears)

Higher than one and lower than three

That's where your next riddle will be

 **Riddle nr 9: Astronomy tower**

Almost done, but first another stop

You're tired, I get it, so let's end this on top

Planets and stars are pretty don't you think

When the sun goes down, you could say there's a link

Not your best subject I have to say

When you look at the sky your mind tends to stray

 **Riddle nr 10: Lily Evans**

Congratulations! You did it! Here's the final clue

I'm here with the cloak and I'm waiting for you

You should probably go back to the place where you started

To where girls and boys are forced to be parted

I needed to be sure you wouldn't find me before the end

So you can't get to me but you could ask a friend


End file.
